73 minutes easy, 10 Miles approx

I ran a cut down version of the long run loop I've been doing for the last couple of weeks with the MPU shod in my older NB 832's. My left shin felt a bit sore generally, but nothing too localized. Overall I felt stacks better than the last couple of mediocre long runs, both in lungs and legs. I even finished off the run with a sprint along the Bath Road TT section (untimed, as it would have been a P-poor clocking off the back of a long run), just for kicks!

Posted on: 18 September 2005 | 2:40 am

36 minutes steady, 5.25 Miles approx

I ran back along the Kennet from the Madjeski Stadium, home of the Royals, this afternoon after the match, so that I could fit my afternoon recovery run in what would normally be dead time (newer NB 832's). Thanks to the post match adrenaline I probably ran a little bit too hard (I felt like I was motoring). Despite this I seem to be OK niggle-wise, my legs & lungs feeling pretty dandy, despite this morning's speedwork. I love Winter!..

Posted on: 17 September 2005 | 10:45 am

6 x 5 minutes, 7 miles

INTENSE sessions with less than ideal recovery tend to be the biggest stimulators of progress for me, despite how much I hate how they feel. 6 x 5 minutes off 3 minute recoveries at Down Grange in my Nike Zoom Marathoner's fits that particular bill perfectly. My legs felt fresh and pain free, relative to the last week of training, so much so that I'm actually looking forward to this afternoon's 4 mile recovery run. For personal future reference regards my improvement, I will now describe where I finished my repetitions relative to the rest of the field.I finished in line with Darryl on the first 3 reps, but then he blasted the last 3. I finished ahead of Tom, the long haired 1500m guy, on the first 4 reps, but about 20-40m behind him on the last two, although I'd still covered the same distance. To paraphrase Barry, it was another debutant record for the workout by a significant distance. Tune in later for more info on today's runs. Same bat-time, same bat-channel...

Posted on: 17 September 2005 | 5:00 am

6 Miles Easy, untimed

'EASY' isn't really the true description of this morning's effort. The M.P.U. and I may have kept the pace down, but any time you run the Breen Down loop (ascent and descent on the 'trail'), effort levels always peak at certain crucial points. For the shoe mileage log, I was shod in my WO NB 834's.I had no aches or pains feeling surprisingly good, even when I was running into the strong prevailing wind.The views on this loop are pretty special, having seen mountain goats and white farm cattle on this occasion. My Old Man is definitely getting fitter, as he ran all the climbs this time, something he was incapable of 2 months ago. It was definitely a good way to finish the break.However every run on this vacation has been accompanied by ~2 hours of dog walking, which has resulted in me feeling a little wiped out. I'll be glad to take a break from that chore when I get back. As much as I dig my dogs, I've only got so much energy to dole out...

Posted on: 16 September 2005 | 3:40 am

25 minutes threshold, 8 Miles total approx

WIND, wind and more wind was the elemental force that was in abundance this afternoon on Breen beach. I ran my threshold run with the Old Man in my Nike Zoom Marathoner's, details of the workout below:15 Minutes Warmup25 Minutes Threshold (ran into the wind, hit the third set of bollards in 21:45)15 Minutes Cooldown8 Miles total approxMy lower legs felt a little tired, but not sore anymore. As the work section was ran into the wind, it was more of a strength workout rather than a speed one, but it felt sufficiently tough to be of value, training effect wise. Grand...

Posted on: 15 September 2005 | 9:45 am

58 minutes Steady, 8 Miles Approx

TODAY'S run was a time based affair, a nice simple out (towards Burnham) & back along the beach with my Dad in my WO NB 834's. The wind was relatively mild for around here, but it still felt quite stiff on the return leg. My legs were still tired from last nights speed session. This combined with the lack of landmarks to measure my pace by on my route resulted in my feeling rather slow. My calves and shins felt a little sore, in a DOMS sort of way, but nothing too severe.

Posted on: 14 September 2005 | 10:00 am

10 x 2:00 efforts, Down Grange, 5 Miles Approx

WARMING up is an essential part of any workout. Today I just seem to get slack, and warmed up really poorly. 10 x 2:00 efforts with 2:00 recoveries was the session, Down Grange was the location...3/4 Mile Warmup in BY NB 834's10 x 2:00 efforts with 2:00 recoveries in Nike Zoom Marathoner's3/4 Mile Cooldown in Nike Zoom Marathoner's5 Miles TotalI went out too hard on the earlier reps and totally died on the later ones, as appears to be de rigeur for me these last few months. I've got to learn to pace these workouts by my own effort guage rather than trying to track other people. I'm obviously going to be outpaced by the MD lads over shorter stuff - and longer stuff too if last Saturday was anything to go by.My calves are still recovering, but my right shin was pretty much clear. The spike blister from Saturday is still present, but that's obviously nothing major. Off to the sea for me till Friday now- I can chock up some mileage on the sand!

Posted on: 13 September 2005 | 1:00 pm

3 Miles Recovery, untimed

THIS morning I jogged 3 miles around the flood banks with the M.P.U in my older NB 832's (I ought to be binning them soon really). Took it nice and easy, but my right shin still feels a litte funny from where I tweaked it on Sunday - stacks better than yesterday though.

Posted on: 13 September 2005 | 3:30 am

7.25 Miles Easy, untimed

A nice untimed run around the Hosehill Lake loop in my newer NB 832's was about all I felt up to today, as my calve are stiff as boards after the weekend. I appear to have tweaked my right shin yesterday, but nothinh serious, just small knot at worst. Even though I can't walk down the stairs properly, for some odd reason I feel largely OK running. Go figure...

Posted on: 12 September 2005 | 8:30 am

1:55 Easy, 16 Miles approx

GIVEN how my calves felt after running a 5k race in spikes for the first time in my life, the last thing I wanted to do was run. As it was, I went for a 1:55 sojourn with the M.P.U. in my newer NB 832's. We ran a combination of several of my routes, encompassing the Kennet, the Thames, Prospect Park & Richfield Avenue. Aerobically I felt fantastic, I just wasn't breathing any harder at the end of the run than I was at the start. Muscularly I felt rubbish, my lower legs were just so sore I was like a grass seeking missile on the run, such was the pasting road & other firm surfaces was giving my legs. Got round OK though with no tweaks to speak of, except a minor knot on my right shin (exactly equidistant between my knee and my ankle). 'Mediocre'..

Posted on: 11 September 2005 | 3:30 am

BAL Promotion Match 5k, 6 Miles Total

HURRAH! We got promotion, with a glorious 60 point lead over 3rd placing Norwich AC, but sadly a meagre 16 points adrift of Gateshead. The full results of the match can be found here. My 5k was, as per usual, rather unspectacular. I managed to run another 'solid time' (or 'average' time, depending how you look at it). The details are below:11 minutes warmup in BY NB 834'sBAL Promotion Match B String 5k in Puma Harambee's (6mm compression tiered pins)16:33 (3:10, 3:19, 3:21, ???, 6:41), 5th place B stringI went out a little bit too hard, and (resultantly?) had no extra gear when it counted11 minutes cooldown in BY NB 834's6 Miles TotalIn the race itself, I was pretty much isolated after the first 400m, apart from the guy who was just too far away for me to catch (the closest I drew the gap to was around 20m), so it was basically a time trial, in terms of drafting anyway. In that context I'm quite happy, and it bodes OK ('well' would be too strong a word) for the coming cross country season.I'm not sure if I'm going to like being the BAL next year now! Unless I improve significantly thisWinter, on the rare occasions I do get selected, I'm going to look like a right prat. Weir will love that...

Posted on: 10 September 2005 | 7:30 am

4 Miles Easy, untimed + BAL promotion match selection, gulp!..

A brief leg loosener around the park with my Old Man in my WO NB 834's. I felt really good today, specifically I didn't feel sore or stiff anywhere and my ROM was pretty useful. Even though I only started doing my lunges again yesterday (3 x 20, each leg) and they seem to be having a loosening effect already.I also found out this morning that one of our runners for the 5K has dropped out for the BAL promotion match, leaving me to fill the B-string spot. Darryl May was also on reserve but he must be running something else as he'd run considerably quicker than me over 5k, hence warranting selection. Maybe I can clear up that mystery tomorrow. Of course I'm bricking it as I find normal Southern Men's League races stressful enough (and we creaming every fixture in that). Still, I gracefully and readilly stepped aside when I didn't make the 5k cut. Just because one of the faster runners has dropped out, there isn't any greater expectation on my performance. I can only run to the best of my ability, as always. If I get more than 1 point, it's a bonus. Having said that, I hope the promotion spots don't come down to 4 or 5 points. I'm going to look like a right 'jockey of cockerels' if we're on the wrong side of that sort of cut...

Posted on: 9 September 2005 | 7:20 am

6 Miles Steady untimed

I ran around Prospect Park with my Old Man this morning for a steady 6 Mile run (shod in my newer NB 832's) rather than the normal Thursday Threshold run. This is because I'm on the reserve list for the BAL qualifier match on Saturday (hopefully it won't come to that). I felt a bit sore from yesterday, I think I ran too hard for the day after a hard workout, thus resulting in pretty bad DOMS. A lesson to learn there perhaps...

Posted on: 8 September 2005 | 4:30 am

1:50 Easy, 15 Miles Approx.

SUNDAY, a day traditionally recognized by the majority of the populace as the day of rest. Fortunately, or perhaps I mean sadly, it is traditionally seen by distance runners to be the least restful day on the weekly calendar. Hence, this morning I enjoyed the pleasure of 15 arduous miles on the road with my Old Man in my older NB 832's. We mostly ran on the Thames towpath, but despite this, most of the run was on concrete. The weather was warm, and I was surprisingly stiff from yesterday's quality work, meaning that the run started off slowly but I believe the pace picked up from about 5 miles out. I'm not really looking forward to next Sunday's run, as I have 16 miles scheduled. I think it'll just depend on what sort of day I'm having as to whether it will be achievable or not. If I'm having one of those days where I feel I can run forever it might make it a touch more bearable.

Posted on: 4 September 2005 | 3:10 pm

3.5 Miles Easy, untimed

FOR a change I ran around one of Roberto's loops this evening - a 3.5 Mile loop with a few climbs, the key landmarks on it being Riley's snooker hall and the fire station. I was shod in my older NB 832's, and although I still felt a little tired from yesterday's cumulative mileage, I felt we were running at a fair clip (sub 6:30/mile pace). My left foot was a little bit sore whilst I was warming up, but nothing severe.

Posted on: 2 September 2005 | 11:35 am

4 Miles Easy, untimed

I ran around Prospect Park with Rob in my Diadora Mythos Axler (too stiff a shoe for me really, shame too because the last & upper fit the shape of malformed feet perfectly!). I felt alittle beat up from yesterday, my lower limbs feeling rather stiff & sore. The thin layer of rather firm foam on the bottom didn't exactly help matters either! I think I'll leave that particular pair of shoes in the back of the rack from now on. The pace was fairly slow, but that suited me down to the ground. I'm sure I'll be recovered for my second run later. If not, I can always scrap it!

Posted on: 2 September 2005 | 4:30 am

40 minutes Steady, 6 Miles Approx

I ran an out and back run along the Kennet with Roberto, starting from Newbury running towardsBristol. I was wearing my NB 832's and I felt a little bit tired and stiff, as the surface wasquite firm, but nothing too severe. The canal on this stretch is very picturesque but thenumerous crossings are somewhat confusing.

Posted on: 1 September 2005 | 9:00 am

5.5 Miles Steady-Hard, 33:25

I ran the Canal Loop with Rob & the Old Man shod in my Nike Free 5.0's. We took it easy for the first 10 minutes, and picked it up after that, the last 5 minutes being ran at quite a strong pace. Given that I felt a little bit tired going into the run, being unable to kick at 100% effort for the last stretch, I was pleasantly surprised with the 33:25 clocking. It's the fastest one I've ran with Rob but still 3 minutes down on the PB Weir time, but then we were hacking that run right from the start!

Posted on: 1 September 2005 | 4:30 am

4 Miles Easy, Untimed

I ran a 4 mile recovery run this morning with 'R' around the classic Prospect Park 4 loop in my newer NB 832's. My left foot felt a little bit sore after yesterday's threshold run, but only like a bruising, not the sickening sensation one tends to get with injury. I'm sure that once the muscles in my foot are up to full strength, this wont bother me again (~2 weeks at my guess). A nice enjoyable, relaxed run.

Posted on: 31 August 2005 | 4:20 am

20 Minutes Threshold, 7 Miles Total

I ran back to my house along the Kennet Canal from Ridgeway Volkswagon via the canal access at Temple Place, with my Old Man, in my Nike Zoom Marathoners. After warming up for 10 minutes, I ran 20 minutes at threshold effort, making a 5:10 gap on my Old Man over the period, which I reckon is pretty good going. I felt pretty explosive on the run, not really tiring until the last 2 minutes of the tempo section. My foot felt absolutely perfect too. Furthermore, I absolutely love these racing flats! They're now officially my road flat of choice for all distances. Including the cooldown (jogging back to my Dad, etc) I covered approximately 7 miles for the workout, in which I also managed to get my car serviced (bonus!).

Posted on: 30 August 2005 | 3:00 am

1:31 Easy to Steady, 13 Miles approx

SOME level of risk was involved in today's run. It was my first long run back since my foot has become really aggravated. My foot was somewhat sore for the first 10 minutes of the run, but it loosened up after that. Aerobically I felt fantastic despite, or perhaps because of, the layoff! I felt like I could go on forever! Dad and I covered the same route he did last week (the Butt Inn & back along the Kennet, shod in my newer NB 832's) in 1:27, and then tagged on another 4 minutes afterwards. He took 1:31 just to cover the out & back section last week, so we must have been running at a reasonable pace. I feel really good about my running at the moment. As long as I'm careful in my come back from my foot niggle I can see myself having a cracking XC season this year!

Posted on: 28 August 2005 | 3:30 am

5.5 Miles Easy-Steady, 34:25

MY MPU and I ran the canal loop at a steady pace for a change (I was wearing my newer NB 832's). The layoff I've taken recenly has clearly freshened me up somewhat, as I felt really strong on this run. My ankle felt absolutely great too, so the four day rest period has definitely done the business!

Posted on: 27 August 2005 | 4:00 am

6 Miles Easy, untimed

THE first run back from a layoff of more than a couple of days is always rough, and today proved to be no exception (2 laps of Prospect Park, with the Old Man in my newer NB 832's). I felt rotten aerobically like I had no change of gear, although that wasn't really the important thing to take away from the run. My ankle was pain free, it just felt a little weak (quite easy to turn), which was fan-dabby-dozy!..

Posted on: 26 August 2005 | 9:30 am

Fw: Craig's foot injury

Here's a transcript of an email I sent to my coach post-physio appointment (which was at 14:45) today, which pretty much says it all about my injury status..."Hi Martin,That's right, it's a foot injury. It looks like I've tweaked one of the ligaments that attaches into my fifth metatarsal when I turned my ankle a fortnight ago. Got to massage the inflamed area, ice it and take ibuprofen. Should be ok to try and start running again on Sunday. Just wanted to keep you in the loop dude,Regards,Craig" Wendy hit it with ultrasound, massage & dry needling. I may need one more appointment, but she's left that up to my judgment. She feels that it's nothing too severe on the scale of things, a minor tweak at worst, 'which was nice'...

Posted on: 24 August 2005 | 12:10 pm

7.25 Miles Easy, untimed

THIS morning I ran with the M.P.U around the Canal Loop with one full loop of Prospect Park added on. I was shod in my NB 834's, which felt firm as rocks for some reason. Perhaps I'm still sore from racing in spikes last night? I felt a little bit tired but nothing too severe given the fact I only got 7 hours sleep last night (slumber at 1am, rise at 8am).

Posted on: 11 August 2005 | 3:45 am